Professional motorsport is a cold, hard place. If you want to run with the big dogs, you can't …
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ESPN'sPatrick Cain wrote a small sidebar on Caswell's WRC Mexico entry for the April 19 edition (the one with Jimmy Clausen on the cover) of the network's magazine. In it, they detail the cost of building a $500 Craigslist car into something suitable for a world-class rally. Some of these steps include:

Add a four-point racing harness ($100)

Install a pair of used racing seats ($200)

Pick up a fire extinguisher (found around the house, free)

Construct a roll cage (Caswell taught himself and built his own — so free, or a couple hundred dollars' worth of tubing — but if you can't, expect to spend $2000–$5000)

Install — or be prepared to fix by the side of the road — fresh stock control arms, brakes, battery, radiator, etc. In other words, everything Caswell didn't do and then later was forced to repair by the side of the road.

Full disclosure: Caswell claims not to have added up his dollar figure for the rally, and we believe him. Hell, we helped him build the car, and if there's more than $4000 worth of parts in that crapcan, we're a monkey's oversteerin' uncle. So, you know, it's easy. What are you waiting for?

Update: For all of you who asked, no, the engine that Caswell used in his car was not free. It was a stock, high-mileage S14 four-cylinder taken from a 1988 BMW M3. Bill got his from a friend for next to nothing, but on the open market, it would probably be worth around $2500.